"You never know," Valentine's escort answered.
"I am feeling a little-" Valentine began.
"I'll get you some air," RC said, as Valentine rose from his chair.
"No, I'm all right... or maybe not." Valentine hurried for the exit. The furniture and decor were an unearthly primary swirl around him. He staggered past the doorman and up the stairs....
When the paroxysm passed he found he was resting against a Dumpster, sweating like a pig and feeling like a small rubber duck floating in a very big lake. He looked around, and reached into his tunic to retrieve the handwritten note. By the blue light of the neon sign, he read Ali's block-capital scrawl.
Must See You AM Good
Will be here one day more then to AFB
Love the (lack of) Hair
Meeyao
T
Apart from her creative spelling of "meow" it was pure Ali; short, to the point and equivocal in case it ended up in someone else's hands. Much of his education in operating in the Kurian Zone had been from her; though she was just under his age, she had twice his experience as a Hunter. While he wondered if she really was good, he was certain the "AM" referred to a.m. AFB probably meant the old air force base to the north as her destination. Hamm had his headquarters there for the refit; Valentine had been told his battalion was to move north and join him in another week or so. Xray-Tango had promised him more time on the range to practice with the new rifles.
For Valentine, it could not come soon enough. He wanted out of the Kurian Zone; Southern Command needed the Quickwood.
"Feeling better, Knox?" a female voice asked from somewhere across the Missouri line. He dropped the note into the Dumpster, startling a rat sniffing at the vomitus within.
He turned, half expecting to see Ali, but it was RC, holding a hurricane glass full of bubbling water.
"I brought you some more soda. It's good for more than just stains."
"You always this nice?"
"Inside there? Yes."
Valentine accepted the glass and took a mouthful. He spat it into the alley, then drank the rest.
"Better," he said, handing it back to her.
"Is the air helping?"
"Yes. Sorry I'm not conversational. I need sleep."
He couldn't take his eyes from the shadowy vertical line between her breasts. Her chest was lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go ...
She put a hand on his forearm and drew it from the Dumpster. "My room's just around the corner. We could go up the back stairs."
"Nice of you, but I just need to sleep." If anything, she was more desirable in the muted light of the alley, every turning curve of skin a promise.
"Fine with me, Colonel. If I'm with you, I don't have to make nice in there."
Valentine looked at her, wondering if this was yet another Kurian Zone test or trap. What the hell.
"Lead on," he said, holding out his hand.
She took him down the alley and around the corner to the back of the Blue Dome. They went up a wooden stairway, the timbers of which were bolted onto the building like an afterthought. She walked him down a long common balcony.
"Yes, oh man, oh baby, oh my, yes, do it!" A female voice drifted through one of the windows.
"I prefer 'yes, do it, oh my, oh baby, yes," myself," RC said, turning a knob on a windowless door.